What are 'credible witnesses' in the context of identifying a signer?

Credible witnesses are individuals used to establish a signer's identity when the signer does not have acceptable identification documents. A credible witness personally knows the signer and appears before the notary to swear (under oath) to the signer's identity. State rules govern how many witnesses are needed and whether the witnesses themselves must be known to the notary or present their own ID, and witnesses generally must be impartial (not having an interest in the transaction). Using credible witnesses is an alternative path to satisfactory evidence of identity, not a way to skip identity verification. The notary still records how identity was established.